Belt buckle



Patented billar. 4, i924.

UNIF

tara

CLARENCE E. SMITH, OF NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 NORTH & JUDD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OIF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

BELT BUCKLE.

Application led July 14,

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. SMITH, citizen ofthe United States of America, residing at 105 Elm Street, Naugatuck, in the county of New-Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Belt Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to belt buckles such as ordinarily associated with belts for human wear and straps of various kinds, among the objects of the invention being the provision of a simple article of this character which can be inexpensively made and by which a belt can be securely held.

In the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification, there is represented in detail one of the several advantageous forms of embodiment of the invention which, to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same, will be set forth fully in the following description. I am not restricted to this disclosure. I may depart therefrom in several particulars Within the scope of the invention defined by the claims following said description.

Referring to said drawing:

Fig. l is an inside face view of the buckle involving the invention and showing the same associated with the belt portions of which are represented.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. l

Fig. 4 is a practically similar view with the belt unlocked.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.v

The buckle, as shown, involves in its makeup a front plate such as that denoted in a general way by 2 and which is ordinarily made of sheet metal, concavo-convex in section with its concaved side inwardly or next to the body of the wearer. The belt, as shown, has along its opposite sides, flanges 3 and 4 practically co-extensive therewith.

The ianges 3 and 4, as shown, support between them an actuator, such as that de- 1923. serial N'o. 651,520.

noted in a general way by 5. The actuator, as represented, consists of a lever which when in blank is sheared at its front end to produce a tooth 5', which is inwardly bent. In addition to this the actuator or lever has side lugs or ears 7 extended through circular openings 8 in the sides 3 and 4, as shown in the several views. This permits the actuator or lever to rock from the closed post tion shown in Fig. 3, at which point the belt is securely held, to an open or belt releasing position, as represented in Fig. 4. rIhe actuator or lever 5 has at its front end a downward extension 9 over which is hooked the practically inverted V shaped gripper 10, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4, the branches of the V shaped gripper l() being somewhat rounded. The inner or right:

branch, in Figs. 3 and 4, of the gripper 10 has two rows of teeth, as l1, staggered or in zig-Zag position, the gripper being ordinarily made of sheet metal and the teeth being cut therefrom and deflected oppositely 4in alternation.

The free end of the belt l2 is gripped by the gripper' 10 against the front plate 2, as shown in Fig. When the belt is thus pressed it is held,- securely to the face plate 2, as shown in Fig. 3, for instance by swinging the actuator 5 inwardly at which point the extension 9 will press the teeth 1]. into biting engagement with the outward surface of the belt 12, as shown in Fig. 3.

The back end of the belt is held securely to the actuator 5 by the teeth and against the outer end of the body of the actuator 5. The teeth are along the inwardly turned branch of the lever 14 pivoted between the anges of the actuator in the ordinary fashion.

It is believed that the action of the belt and the buckle will be understood yet I deem it proper to briefly refer to the same. In Fig. 4V the parts are open. It will be assumed that a belt is to be connected in this event. The tail of the belt is gripped to the rear end of the lever 14. The belt having been placed about the waist of the wearer is with the parts in said Fig. 4 thrust between the gripper 10 and the face plate 2 at which time a pull on the belt toward the right in Fig. 3 will cause the gripper 10 to close upon the belt and its staggered teeth to bite into or press the belt against the yface plate.

It will be seen that the actuating projection or tooth 5 of the actuator 5 is bent downward from the actuator, after being sheared therefrom, and that it engages against the gripper l0 to push said gripper into position where its staggered teeth can bite firmly into the belt when the latter is pulled toward the lett in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. When the actuator is moved oppositely :it releases the gripper so that the belt can be disengaged. The parts are assembled by iitting the l gripper l0, which is slipped over the extension 9, after which the actuator has its lugs or ears 7 projected through the opening 8 in the sides 3 and 4 so that it is quite a simple matter to construct and assemble the parts. 1When the parts are assembled the top ot the gripper l0 abuts or practically abuts against the forward or inner end of the actuator.

What l claim is:

l. A buckle comprising a tace plate, an actuator supported by the face plate, and a belt gripper operable by the actuator and comprising two rows of staggered teeth.

2. A buckle comprising a face plate, an actuator supported by the face plate, and

i ,estates a belt gripper sustained by the actuator, and operable thereby, and comprising two rows of staggered teeth.

3. A. buckle comprising a tace plate, an actuator supported by the Jface plate and e shaped belt gripper supported solely by the actuator, operable thereby7 and one ot its branches having a plurality of rows ot staggered teeth.

It. buckle comprising a :tace plate, an actuator supported by the tace plate, and a belt gripper supported solely by the actuator, operal'ilor thereby and comprising two rows oit staggered teeth.

5. fr buckle comprising a tace plate, an actuator supported by the :tace plate and having means 'for the attachment of a belt thereto, and a belt gripper operable by the actuator and comprising several rows of staggered teeth which bite into 'the belt on the pull of the belt.

6. A burlrle comprising a tace plate, an actuator supported by the i'iace plate and a belt gripper comprising a plurality of rows et staggered teeth, the means to unset the belt gripper.

ln testimony whereof lf arllii; my signature.

CLARENCE E. Slt/HTH.

actuator having 

